Product simulating probe and method

ABSTRACT

A probe and method for simulating refrigerated product temperature includes a housing containing a thermal mass having thermo-physical properties similar to refrigerated food product, a temperature sensing element operable to measure the temperature of the thermal mass, and a transceiver in communication with the sensing element and operable to wirelessly transmit data from a refrigeration display case to a remote receiver.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/390,308 filed on Mar. 17, 2003, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/271,245 filed on Oct.15, 2002, whichis a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/702,993 filed onOct. 31, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,315), which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/564,173filed on May 3, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,409). The disclosures ofthe above applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates generally to monitoring and controllingtemperature and, more specifically, a method and apparatus formonitoring and controlling food temperature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Produced food travels from processing plants to grocery stores,where the food product remains on display case shelves for extendedperiods of time. For improved food quality, the food product should notexceed critical temperature limits while being displayed in the grocerystore display cases. For uncooked food products, the product temperatureshould not exceed 41° F. For cooked food products, the producttemperature should not be less than 140° F. In other words, the criticaltemperature limits are approximately 41° and 140° F. Between thesecritical temperature limits, bacteria grow at a faster rate.

[0004] One attempt to maintain food product temperature within safelimits is to monitor the discharge air temperature to ensure that thedisplay case does not become too warm or too cold. But the food producttemperature and discharge air temperature do not necessarily correlate;that is, discharge air temperature and food product temperature will notnecessarily have the same temperature trend because food producttemperatures can vary significantly from discharge air temperature dueto the thermal mass of the food product. Further, during initial startupand display case defrost, the air temperature can be as high as 70°F.while food product temperature is much lower for this typically shortinterval. Finally, it is impractical to measure the temperature of foodproducts at regular intervals in order to monitor food producttemperature in a display case.

[0005] More specifically, in a conventional refrigeration system, a maincontroller typically logs or controls temperature. Conventionally, themain controller is installed in the compressor room, which is located onthe roof or back of the grocery store. The conventional method formonitoring and controlling the display case temperature requires adischarge air temperature sensor mounted in the display case. Thedischarge air temperature sensor is typically connected to an analoginput board, which is also typically located in the compressor room. Atemperature wire must be pulled from the display case to the compressorroom, which is typically difficult and increasingly expensive dependingon how far away the compressor room is from the display case. Further,this wiring and installation process is more expensive and extremelycumbersome when retrofitting a store.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] An apparatus, system, and method for controlling a refrigerationsystem according to the invention overcomes the limitations of the priorart by providing wireless transmission of simulated product temperaturedata. A probe for simulating product temperature includes a housingcontaining a thermal mass having thermo-physical properties similar tofood product, and a temperature sensing element for measuring thetemperature of the thermal mass. Preferably, the thermal mass iscontained within a plastic bag within the housing. The transceiver,which is connected to the temperature-sensing element, wirelesslytransmits the measured temperature data to the receiver. The transceivermay be disposed within the housing, or positioned external to thehousing. The housing preferably includes a middle plate supporting thethermal mass in a first portion of the housing and containing thetemperature sensing element in a second portion of said housing. Mostpreferably, the middle plate includes a channel communicating with thesecond portion and extending into the first portion, and thetemperature-sensing element is positioned within the channel such thatthe thermal mass substantially surrounds the channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a refrigeration system employing amethod and apparatus for refrigeration system control according to theteachings of the preferred embodiment in the present invention;

[0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a product-simulating probeaccording to the invention;

[0009]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of theproduct-simulating probe of FIG. 2;

[0010]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the product-simulating probe ofFIGS. 2 and 3;

[0011]FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one configuration fortransferring product temperature data from a display case to a maincontroller according to the invention;

[0012]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of another configuration fortransferring product temperature data from a display case to a maincontroller according to the invention;

[0013]FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating yet another configurationfor transferring product temperature data and other monitored data froma display case to a main controller according to the invention;

[0014]FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating circuit temperature controlusing an electronic pressure regulator; and

[0015]FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating floating circuit or casetemperature control based upon a product simulator temperature probe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, a detailed block diagram of a refrigerationsystem 10 according to the teachings of the preferred embodiment in thepresent invention is shown. The refrigeration system 10 includes aplurality of compressors 12 piped together in a compressor room 6 with acommon suction manifold 14 and a discharge header 16 all positionedwithin a compressor rack 18. The compressor rack 18 compressesrefrigerant vapor that is delivered to a condenser 20 where therefrigerant vapor is liquefied at high pressure. This high-pressureliquid refrigerant is delivered to a plurality of refrigeration cases 22in a grocery store floor space 8 by way of piping 24. Each refrigerationcase 22 is arranged in separate circuits 26 consisting of a plurality ofrefrigeration cases 22 that operate within a similar temperature range.FIG. 1 illustrates four (4) circuits 26 labeled circuit A, circuit B,circuit C and circuit D. Each circuit 26 is shown consisting of four (4)refrigeration cases 22. Those skilled in the art, however, willrecognize that any number of circuits 26 within a refrigeration system10, as well as any number of refrigeration cases 22 may be employedwithin a circuit 26. As indicated, each circuit 26 will generallyoperate within a certain temperature range. For example, circuit A maybe for frozen food, circuit B may be for dairy, circuit C may be formeat, etc.

[0017] Because the temperature requirement is different for each circuit26, each circuit 26 includes a pressure regulator 28, preferably anelectronic stepper regulator (ESR) or valve, that acts to control theevaporator pressure and hence, the temperature of the refrigerated spacein the refrigeration cases 22. Preferably, each refrigeration case 22also includes its own evaporator and its own expansion valve (notshown), which may be either a mechanical or an electronic valve forcontrolling the superheat of the refrigerant. In this regard,refrigerant is delivered by piping 24 to the evaporator in eachrefrigeration case 22. The refrigerant passes through the expansionvalve where a pressure drop occurs to change the high-pressure liquidrefrigerant to a lower-pressure combination of liquid and vapor. As thewarmer air from the refrigeration case 22 moves across the evaporatorcoil, the low-pressure liquid turns into a gas. This low-pressure gas isdelivered to the pressure regulator 28 associated with that particularcircuit 26. At the pressure regulator 28, the pressure is dropped as thegas returns to the compressor rack 18 through the common suctionmanifold 14. At the compressor rack 18, the low-pressure gas is againcompressed to a higher pressure and delivered to the condenser 20, whichagain creates a highpressure liquid to start the refrigeration cycleover.

[0018] To control the various functions of the refrigeration system 10,a main refrigeration controller 30 is used and configured or programmedto executes a control algorithm and includes configuration and loggingcapabilities. The refrigeration controller 30 controls the operation ofeach pressure regulator (ESR) 28, as well as the suction pressure setpoint for the entire compressor rack 18. The refrigeration controller 30is preferably an Einstein Area Controller offered by CPC, Inc. ofAtlanta, Ga., or any other type of programmable controller that may beprogrammed, as discussed herein and as discussed more fully is U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/539,563, filed Mar. 31, 2000, entitled“Method And Apparatus For Refrigeration System Control Using ElectronicEvaporator Pressure Regulators,” incorporated herein by reference. Therefrigeration controller 30 controls the bank of compressors 12 in thecompressor rack 18 through an input/output module 32. The input/outputmodule 32 has relay switches to turn the compressors 12 on and off toprovide the desired suction pressure. A separate case controller, suchas a CC-100 case controller, also offered by CPC, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga.may be used to control the superheat of the refrigerant to eachrefrigeration case 22 through an electronic expansion valve in eachrefrigeration case 22 by way of a communication network or bus, asdiscussed more fully the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/539,563, filed Mar. 31, 2000, entitled “Method And Apparatus ForRefrigeration System Control Using Electronic Evaporator PressureRegulators.” Alternatively, a mechanical expansion valve may be used inplace of the separate case controller. Should separate case controllersbe utilized, the main refrigeration controller 30 may be used toconfigure each separate case controller, also via the communication bus.

[0019] In order to monitor the suction pressure for the compressor rack18, a pressure transducer 40 is preferably positioned at the input ofthe compressor rack 18 or just past the pressure regulators 28. Thepressure transducer 40 delivers an analog signal to an analog inputboard 38, which measures the analog signal and delivers this informationto the main refrigeration controller 30, via the communication bus 34.The analog input board 38 may be a conventional analog input boardutilized in the refrigeration control environment. The pressuretransducer 40 enables adaptive control of the suction pressure for thecompressor rack 18, further discussed herein and as discussed more fullyin the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/539,563, filedMar. 31, 2000, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Refrigeration SystemControl Using Electronic Evaporator Pressure Regulators.”

[0020] To vary the openings in each pressure regulator 28, an electronicstepper regulator (ESR) board 42 drives up to eight (8) electronicstepper regulators 28. The ESR board 42 is preferably an ESR-8 boardoffered by CPC, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., which consists of eight (8)drivers capable of driving the stepper valves 28, via control from themain refrigeration controller 30. The main refrigeration controller 30,input/output module 32, and ESR board 42 are located in a compressorroom 6 and are preferably daisy chained via the communication bus 34 tofacilitate the exchange of data between them. The communication bus 34is preferably either an RS-485 communication bus or a LonWorks Echelonbus.

[0021] The suction pressure at the compressor rack 18 is dependent inthe temperature requirement for each circuit 26. For example, assumecircuit A operates at 10° F., circuit B operates at 15° F., circuit Coperates at 20° F. and circuit D operates at 25° F. The suction pressureat the compressor rack 18, which is sensed through the pressuretransducer 40, requires a suction pressure set point based on the lowesttemperature requirement for all the circuits 26, which, for thisexample, is circuit A, or the lead circuit. Therefore, the suctionpressure at the compressor rack 18 is set to achieve a 10° F. operatingtemperature for circuit A. This requires the pressure regulator 28 to besubstantially opened 100% in circuit A. Thus, if the suction pressure isset for achieving 10° F. at circuit A and no pressure regulator valves28 were used for each circuit 26, each circuit 26 would operate at thesame temperature. Because each circuit 26 is operating at a differenttemperature, however, the electronic stepper regulators or valves 28 areclosed a certain percentage for each circuit 26 to control thecorresponding temperature for that particular circuit 26. To raise thetemperature to 15° F. for circuit B, the stepper regulator valve 28 incircuit B is closed slightly, the valve 28 in circuit C is closedfurther, and the valve 28 in circuit D is closed even further providingfor the various required temperatures.

[0022] Each electronic pressure regulator (ESR) 28 is preferablycontrolled by the main controller 30 based on food product temperaturesapproximated by a product simulating probe 50, or based on multipletemperature readings including air-discharge temperature sensed by adischarge temperature sensor 48 and/or food product temperaturesapproximated by a product simulating probe 50 and transmitted through adisplay module 46.

[0023] In order to control the opening of each pressure regulator 28based on the temperature of the food product inside each refrigerationcase 22, the product temperature is approximated using theproduct-simulating probe 50 according to the invention. In this regard,each refrigeration case 22 is shown having a product-simulating probe 50associated therewith. Each refrigeration case 22 may have a separateproduct-simulating probe 50 to take average/minimum/maximum temperaturesused to control the pressure regulator 28 or a single product-simulatingprobe 50 may be used for a given circuit 26 of refrigeration cases 22,especially because each refrigeration case 22 in operates withinsubstantially the same temperature range for a given circuit 26. Thesetemperature inputs are wirelessly transmitted to an analog inputreceiver 94, which returns the information to the main refrigerationcontroller 30 via a communication bus 96.

[0024] The product-simulating probe 50, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, providestemperature data to the main controller 30. Preferably, the productsimulating probe 50 is an integrated temperature measuring andtransmitting device including a box-like housing 70 encapsulating athermal mass 74 and a temperature sensing element 80 and including awireless transceiver 82. The housing 70 includes a cover 72 secured to abase 86, and magnets 84 mounted to the cover 72 facilitate easyattachment of the probe 50 to the display case 22. Preferably, the cover72 is adhered to the base 86 to seal the thermal mass 74 therein. Inplace of magnets 84, a bracket 85 may be used by securing the bracket 85to the display case 22 and attaching the probe 50 by sliding the bracketinto a complimentary slot 87 on the base 86 of the probe 50.

[0025] The thermal mass 74 is a container housing a material havingthermo-physical characteristics similar to food product. Because foodproduct predominantly contains water, the thermo-physical simulatingmaterial is preferably either salt water or a solid material that hasthe same thermal characteristics as water, such as low-densitypolyethylene (LDPE) or propylene glycol. The container for the thermalmass is preferably a plastic bag, and most preferably a pliablepolypropylene bag, sealably containing the simulating material.Alternatively, a more rigid material can be used, but should include acentrally disposed channel 77 for accommodating the temperature sensingelement 80 in close proximity to the material having thermo-physicalcharacteristics similar to food product. Preferably, the thermal mass 74is a 16-ounce (1-pint) sealed-plastic container filled with four percent(4%) salt water.

[0026] The temperature-sensing element 80 is embedded in the center ofthe thermal mass 74 so that the temperature product probe 50 measuresthe simulated internal temperature of food products. Thetemperature-sensing element 80 is preferably a thermistor. A middleplate 78 seals the temperature sensing element 80 and transceiver 82relative the thermal mass 74 and includes a transversely extending tube76 that supports the temperature sensing element 80 within the channel77 of the thermal mass 74. When a pliable plastic material is used tocontain the material having thermo-physical characteristics similar tofood product, the pliable plastic material forms the channel 77 byaccommodating the tube 76 within the thermal mass 74. A gasket 89 isdisposed between the middle plate 78 and the base 86 to seal the spacebetween the middle plate 78 and the bottom of the base 86 containing thetransceiver 82. Fasteners 91 received through the base 86 secure themiddle plate 78 to the base 86 through threaded reception in nut inserts93 in-molded or secured to the middle plate 78.

[0027] The wireless transceiver 82 preferably includes asignal-conditioning circuit, is mounted between the base 86 and themiddle plate 82, and is connected to the temperature sensing element 80via a wire 88. The wireless transceiver 82 is preferably a radiofrequency (RF) device that transmits and receives parametric data andcontrol inputs and outputs. Preferably, the wireless transceiver 82 is astandalone transceiver and/or transmitter that can be positionedindependently of other hardware, such as repeaters, operating oninternal or external power, that retransmit at the same or differentradio frequencies as the parametric data and control inputs and outputs,and one or more transceivers 82 or receivers 94 that are linked to themain controller 30. The wireless transceiver 82 preferably operates onan internal power source, such as a battery, but can alternatively bypowered by an external power source.

[0028] Preferably, as shown in FIG. 5, the product simulating probe 50monitors the performance of the display case 22. Preferably, one probe50 is placed within each display case 22. The product-simulating probe50 wirelessly transmits simulated product temperature data to thereceiver 94, which collects the temperature data and retransmits it tothe main controller 30 via the communication bus 96. The main controller30 logs and analyzes the temperature data, and controls the temperatureof the display cases 22 based on the monitored temperature data.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the inventionincludes disposing a transceiver 82′ apart from a product simulatingprobe 50′ and then connecting the transceiver 82′ to the probe 50′ via awire 84. For this variation of the invention, the product simulatingprobe 50′ does not include an internal transceiver 82, but is connectedto an external transceiver 82′ connected to the temperature sensingelement 80 via the wire 84. Optionally, as shown, a discharge airtemperature sensor 48, or any other sensor, can similarly be connectedto the transceiver 82′ for transmission of measured data. The wirelesstransceiver 82′ is mounted externally on the display case 22; forexample, mounted on the top of the display case 22. The method oftransmitting the temperature data from the product simulating probe 50′to the main controller 30 remains the same as described above.

[0030] As opposed to using an individual product simulating probe 50 orprobe 50′ with an external transceiver 82′ to transmit the temperaturefor a refrigeration case 22 to the receiver 94, a temperature displaymodule 46 may alternatively be used as shown in FIG. 7. The temperaturedisplay module 46 is preferably a TD3 Case Temperature Display, alsooffered by CPC, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga. The display module 46 is preferablymounted in each refrigeration case 22, and is connected to a wirelesstransceiver 82′. Each module 46 preferably measures up to three (3)temperature signals, but more or fewer can be measured depending on theneed. These measured signals include the case discharge air temperaturemeasured by a discharge temperature sensor 48, the simulated producttemperature measured by a product simulator temperature probe 50′, and adefrost termination temperature measured by a defrost termination sensor52. These sensors may also be interchanged with other sensors, such asreturn air sensor, evaporator temperature or clean switch sensor. Thedisplay module 46 also includes an LED display 54 that can be configuredto display any of the temperatures and/or case status(defrost/refrigeration/alarm).

[0031] The display module 46 will measure the case discharge airtemperature, via the discharge temperature sensor 48 and the productsimulated temperature, via the product probe temperature sensor 50 andthen wirelessly transmit this data to the main refrigeration controller30 via the wireless transceiver 82′, which transmits data to thereceiver 94 connected to the main controller 30 via the communicationbus 96. This information is logged and used for subsequent systemcontrol utilizing the novel methods discussed herein.

[0032] Further, the main controller 30 can be configured by the user toset alarm limits for each case 22, as well as defrosting parameters,based on temperature data measured by the probe 50, or dischargetemperature sensor 48, or any other sensor including the defrosttermination sensor 52, return air sensor, evaporator temperature orclean switch sensor. When an alarm occurs, the main controller 30preferably notifies a remotely located central monitoring station 100via a communication bus 102, including LAN/WAN or remote dial-up using,e.g., TCP/IP. Further, the main controller 30 can notify a store manageror refrigeration service company via a telephone call or page using amodem connected to a telephone line. The alarm and defrost informationcan be transmitted from the main refrigeration controller 30 to thedisplay module 46 for displaying the status on the LED display 54.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 8, a temperature control logic 70 is shown tocontrol the electronic pressure regulator (ESR) 28 for the particularcircuit 26 being analyzed. In this regard, each electronic pressureregulator 28 is controlled by measuring the case temperature withrespect to the particular circuit 26. As shown in FIG. 1, each circuitA,B,C,D includes product-simulating probes 50, 50′ that wirelesslytransmit temperature data to the analog signal receiver 94. The receiver94 measures the case temperature and transmits the data to therefrigeration controller 30 using the communication network 34. Thetemperature control logic or algorithm 70 is programmed into therefrigeration controller 30.

[0034] The temperature control logic 110 may either receive casetemperatures (T₁, T₂, T₃, . . . T_(n)) from each case 22 in theparticular circuit 26 or a single temperature from one case 22 in thecircuit 26. Should multiple temperatures be monitored, thesetemperatures (T₁, T₂, T₃, . . . T_(n)) are manipulated by anaverage/min/max temperature block 72. Block 72 can either be configuredto take the average of each of the temperatures (T₁, T₂, T₃, . . .T_(n)) received from each of the cases 22. Alternatively, theaverage/min/max temperature block 112 may be configured to monitor theminimum and maximum temperatures from the cases 22 to select a meanvalue to be utilized or some other appropriate value. Selection of whichoption to use will generally be determined based upon the type ofhardware utilized in the refrigeration control system 10. From block112, the temperature (T_t) is applied to an error detector 114. Theerror detector 114 compares the desired circuit temperature set point(SP_ct) which is set by the user in the refrigeration controller 30 tothe actual measured temperature (T_ct) to provide an error value (E_ct).Here again, this error value (E_ct) is applied to a PI/PID/Fuzzy Logicalgorithm 108, which is a conventional refrigeration control algorithm,to determine a particular percent (%) valve opening (VO_ct) for theparticular electronic pressure regulator (ESR) 28 being controlled viathe ESR board 42.

[0035] While the temperature control logic 110 is efficient toimplement, logistically it had inherent disadvantages. For example, eachcase temperature measurement sensor required connecting each displaycase 22 to the analog input board 38, which is generally located in thecompressor room 6. This created a lot of wiring and high installationcosts. The invention described herein, however, overcomes thislimitation by wirelessly arranging the transmission of temperature datafrom product simulating probes 50, 50′, or from other temperaturesensors including the discharge temperature sensor 48, defrosttermination sensor 52, return air sensor, evaporator temperature orclean switch sensor, etc. A further improvement to this configuration isto use the display module 46, as shown in circuit A of FIG. 1, as wellas FIG. 7. In this regard, a temperature sensor within each case 22passes the temperature information to the display module 46, whichwirelessly transmits the data to the receiver 94, which sends the datato the controller 30. Under either version, the temperature data istransferred directly from the refrigeration case 22 to the refrigerationcontroller 30 without the need for the analog input board 38, or forwiring the various sensors to the analog input board 38, therebysubstantially reducing wiring and installation costs.

[0036] Referring now to FIG. 9, a floating circuit temperature controllogic 116 is illustrated based upon temperature measurements from theproduct-simulating probe 50, 50′. The floating circuit temperaturecontrol logic 116 begins at start block 118. From start block 118, thecontrol logic proceeds to differential block 120. In differential block120, the average product simulation temperature for the past one-hour orother appropriate time period is subtracted from a maximum allowableproduct temperature to determine a difference (diff). In this regard,measurements from the product probe 50 are preferably taken, forexample, every ten seconds with a running average taken over a certaintime period, such as one hour. The type of product being stored in theparticular refrigeration case 22 generally controls the maximumallowable product temperature. For example, for meat products, a limitof 41° F. is generally the maximum allowable temperature for maintainingmeat in a refrigeration case 22. To provide a further buffer, themaximum allowable product temperature can be set 5° F. lower than thismaximum (i.e., 36° for meat).

[0037] From differential block 120, the control logic 116 proceeds todetermination block 122, determination block 124 or determination block126. In determination block 122, if the difference between the averageproduct simulator temperature and the maximum allowable producttemperature from differential block 120 is greater than 5° F., adecrease of the temperature set point for the particular circuit 26 by5° F. is performed at change block 128. From here, the control logicreturns to start block 118. This branch identifies that the averageproduct temperature is too warm, and therefore, needs to be cooled down.At determination block 124, if the difference is greater than −5° F. andless than 5° F., this indicates that the average product temperature issufficiently near the maximum allowable product temperature and nochange of the temperature set point is performed in block 130. Shouldthe difference be less than −5° F. as determined in determination block126, an increase in the temperature set point of the circuit by 5° F. isperformed in block 132.

[0038] By floating the circuit temperature for the entire circuit 26 orthe particular case 22 based upon the simulated product temperature, therefrigeration case 22 may be run in a more efficient manner since thecontrol criteria is determined based upon the product temperature andnot the case temperature which is a more accurate indication of desiredtemperatures. It should further be noted that while a differential of 5°F. has been identified in the control logic 116, those skilled in theart would recognize that a higher or a lower temperature differential,may be utilized to provide even further fine tuning and all that isrequired is a high and low temperature differential limit to float thecircuit temperature. It should further be noted that by using thefloating circuit temperature control logic 116 in combination with thefloating suction pressure control logic 80 further energy efficienciescan be realized. Variations of the above apparatus and method aredescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/539,563, filed Mar. 31,2000, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Refrigeration System ControlUsing Electronic Evaporator Pressure Regulators,” incorporated herein byreference.

[0039] The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplaryembodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art willreadily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanyingdrawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variationscan be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A probe for simulating refrigerated producttemperature in a refrigeration display case, comprising: a thermal masshaving thermo-physical properties similar to refrigerated food product;a temperature sensing element operable to measure a temperature of saidthermal mass; and a transceiver connected to said temperature sensingelement and operable to wirelessly transmit measured temperature datafrom the refrigeration display case to a remote receiver.
 2. The probeof claim 1 further comprising a housing containing said thermal mass andsaid temperature sensing element.
 3. The probe of claim 2 wherein saidhousing contains said transceiver.
 4. The probe of claim 1 wherein saidtemperature sensing element is positioned approximately centrally insaid thermal mass.
 5. The probe of claim 1 wherein said transceiver is aradio frequency device operable to transmit and receive parametric data.6. The probe of claim 1 wherein said transceiver is operable to transmitcontrol signals.
 7. A method for simulating refrigerated producttemperature in a refrigeration display case, comprising: employing athermal mass having thermo-physical properties similar to refrigeratedfood product; measuring a temperature of said thermal mass; andwirelessly transmitting said measured temperature from the refrigerationdisplay case to a remote receiver.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein saidtransmitting includes transmitting said measured temperature through atransceiver.
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein said transmitting includestransmitting said measured temperature data from said receiver to a maincontroller.
 10. The method of claim 7 further comprising collectingmeasured temperature data.
 11. The method of claim 7 further comprisinganalyzing measured temperature data.
 12. The method of claim 7 furthercomprising controlling temperature based on said measured temperaturedata.
 13. The method of claim 7 further comprising containing saidthermal mass in a housing.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprisingcontaining a transceiver in said housing and wherein said transceiverwirelessly transmits said measured temperature.
 15. A method forsimulating refrigerated food product temperature, comprising: disposinga thermal mass having thermo-physical properties similar to refrigeratedfood product in a refrigeration display case; installing a sensor tomeasure a temperature of said thermal mass; and enabling wirelesstransmission of said measured temperature to a remote receiver.
 16. Themethod of claim 15 wherein said installing includes positioning atemperature sensing element in said thermal mass.
 17. The method ofclaim 15 wherein said enabling includes positioning said transceiver ina housing containing said thermal mass.
 18. The method of claim 15wherein said enabling includes positioning said transceiver external toa housing containing said thermal mass.
 19. The method of claim 15wherein said enabling includes enabling transmission of said measuredtemperature to a system controller.